The news of Renault’s departure from Formula 1 as an engine supplier has been met with strong disapproval by the manufacturer’s staff at Viry-Châtillon, who have accused the company of turning its back on a proud sporting history.
Located just outside of Paris, the Viry facility has been the birthplace of Renault’s F1 power units since the 1970s.
Now, with the historic factory set to supply its final F1 engines in 2025 before Alpine transitions to Mercedes power from 2026, workers feel the manufacturer’s top brass has chosen financial caution over sporting legacy.
The factory’s Social and Economic Committee – representing the voices of Viry’s employees and stakeholders – fought hard to keep Renault in the game, lobbying CEO Luca de Meo to reconsider a decision that it feels goes “against the tide”. However, there efforts were in vain.
The CSE believes that partnership solutions could have been explored to maintain F1 activity while reducing costs and preserving valuable skills.
"All staff representatives, representing the voice of employees and a majority of stakeholders, regret and deplore the decision to stop F1 engines in 2026,” said the CSE in a statement released on Tuesday.
"This choice is endorsed by the group, which wishes to reduce the financial risk surrounding F1, even though no serious study has been conducted to assess the impact on future sales and the prestige of the brand.
"Partnership solutions were rejected by the group, even though they would have made it possible to meet several objectives: maintaining F1 activity, reducing development and operating costs, maintaining all skills, and the possibility of bringing an already largely developed and promising RE26 engine to the 2026 season."
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The CSE’s concerns extend beyond the short-term consequences of losing F1 engine production.
They worry that cutting staff from 500 to 334 by early next year, along with further indirect job losses, will strip Viry-Châtillon of critical expertise.
"The history of the Viry site shows that conflicting decisions have often been taken, and demonstrates the importance of maintaining highly qualified skills for the future in order to leave the door open to a return to F1 when the regulations and the financial context of the shareholder make it more attractive,” the CSE warned.
The consequences of Renault’s decision will not only impact jobs but also the broader social initiatives tied to the Viry site.
The CSE highlighted the potential end of the Alpine Mechanical Excellence Competition, a government-backed apprenticeship program promoting diversity and opportunity in motorsport, as one more casualty of Renault’s exit from F1.
Despite the disappointment, the Viry team has continued to push forward, developing their power unit for 2026. However, their work will go unused.
“Despite the turmoil of the last two months, the Viry team has continued to develop the power of the 2026 engine that Alpine is depriving itself of,” the CSE statement concluded.
The workers at Viry-Châtillon, united in their opposition to the decision, are now calling on public authorities to step in and defend the long-term sustainability of the site, which has been a cornerstone of Renault’s sporting and technological identity.
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